Mounting for dental chair stools



Jan. 9, 1962 J. K. HOAG AL MOUNTING FOR DENTAL CHAIR STOOLS Filed Feb. 11, 1959 l ..x. J

w I I 4 W m HHHHI3 F w m x 4 y 2 .H H..W\ F hum N F x 1 5 3,016,223 MOUNTING FOR DENTAL CHAIR STOGLS John K. Hoag, Rochester, and Ellroy F. Schutt, Fairpin't, N.Y., assignors to Wilinnt (Iastle Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 792,488 Claims. (Cl. 248-194) The present invention relates to a mounting for dental chair stools or auxiliary seats and,'more particularly, to an arrangement for mounting either a pair of stools or a single stool on various sizes of dental chairs.

An object of theinvention is the provision of a generally improved and more satisfactory auxiliary seat mounting arrangement for a dental chair.

Another object is to provide a new and improved mounting arrangement for auxiliary stools for various sized dental chairs having provision for mounting either one or two of the stools, the arrangement being such as to require a minimum number of parts so as to result in low costs. 7

Yet another object is the provision of a mounting arrangement for dental chair stools as previously described wherein a particular chair and stool combination as selected from a variety of possible combinations may be quickly and conveniently assembled using a minimum number of standard parts.

A further object is to provide a convenient mounting arrangement for various combinations of one or two dental stools or the like with relation to either of two sizes of dental chairs so that the purchaser having chosen one combination may quickly and economically change to another arrangement.

These and other desirable objects may be attained in the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accomoanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of twin dental stoo s in combination with a dental chair, illustrated in dotted lines, utilizing a mounting arrangement in accordance with the present invention; 7

FIG. 2 is a radial cross section, to an enlarged scae,

throu h the chair base and the mounting arrangement of FIG. 1 taken approximately on the line 2-2 thereof, the swivel retaining plate and vertical swivel of the stool a pearing in side elevation, the vertical swivel being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top view, to an enlarged nite States Patent 0 scale, of the mounting arrangement and chair base for twin stools as shown in FIG. 1, the ve tical swivel having been omitted, the position of the swivel retaining p ate being shown in full lines for one size of chair base and in dotted lines for another size of chair base, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view similar to FIG. 3 showing the arrangement for a single stool.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts. a

In FIG. 1 is shown, in dotted lines, a dental chair 11 in connection with which are mounted, at either side, a pair of dental stools or auxiliary seats 13 and 15. The stools 13 and 15 are identical, and one is intended to be used by a dentist and the Otherby his assistant. Of course, the stools 13 and15 may have any analogous use or be used wherever their structure and arrange-' ment adapt them to be used. Referring to one of the stools, the stool 15 includes a vertically mounted hub sleeve 17 freely rotatable through 360 degrees, and a radially extending arm 19 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the hub sleeve to extend laterally upwardly at a slight inclination to the horizontal. At the free end of 3,016,223 Patented Jan. 9, 1962 ice the arm 19 is secured an upright post housing 21. Slidably mounted within the post housing 21 is a post 23, and a lock 25 is provided for securing the post 23 in a particular position of vertical adjustment. Mounted on the upper end of the post23 for limited swiveling motion is a bracket 27 having .a laterally extending arm at the end of which is mounted rotatably a stool seat 29.

The details of construction of the stools do not, per se, constitute part of the present invention. This invention is confined to the mannerin which the bottom portion 17 of the stoolstructure is mounted or supported with relation to the base of the dental chair. Itmay be mentioned, however, that in the normal use of a stool of the particular construction here shown as an example, the arm 19 swings about the axis of rotation of the hub sleeve 17, the post 23 is vertically adjustable within the post housing 21, and the seat 29 has limited swiveling motion relative to the post 23 while being freely rotatable about its verticalaxis on the end of the bracket 27. The bracket 27 is spring urged to a predetermined rest position wherein its laterally extending arm lies substantially in the vertical plane of the arm 19 and the housing 21. i

As better shown in FIG. 2, the hub sleeve 17 is mounted on a bearing 31 and is rotatable about a center post 33 as an axis of rotation. The center post 33 extends downwardly into a central post receiving aperture 35 in a swivel retaining plate 37 and is rigidly are welded in place to provide a fillet 39 between the ends of the post and the plate 37. The swivel retaining plate 37 is removably fastened to a stool base plate 41 bypreferably four screw fasteners 43 which extend upwardly through countersunk holes 45 in the base plate into alined screw threaded apertures 47 in the swivel retaining plate 37. Of course, the screw fasteners 43 are located generally at the four corners of the plate 37 but in non-symmetrical relation to the end edges of the plate for a reason to be explained in greater detail.

A clamp is provided at the inner edge of the swivel retaining plate 37 and hooks over the periphery of the base of the pedestal of the dental chair 11. Preferably a clamp plate 49 is provided having an outer downwardly extending flange 51. A screw fastener 53 extends downwardly through the base of the clamp plate into a screw threaded aperture 55 in the swivel retaining plate 37. A piece of rubber or the like 57 is preferably provided between the inner edge of the-"base of theclamp plate and the top surface of the base 59 of the chair pedestal. The screw fastener 53 is tightened down until the end of the flange 51 tightly engages the upper surface of the plate 37, thereby securing the base plate 41 and the swivel retaining plate 37 to the chair base. The base plate 41, see also FIG. 1, is a generally rectangular plate the inner edge of which extends under the pedestal base '59 of the dental chair. A pair of side clamps 61 and 63 are additionally provided at the opposite sides of the base plate 41 for holding the chair base 59 and the stool structure base plate 41 firmly to each other at spaced peripheral points. A small upstanding lug welded to the base plate 41 may underlie each clamp 61 and 63, to serve as locating means for engagement with the edge of the chair base.

In FIG. 1 two identical stools are mounted on the base plate 41. Thus, the hub sleeve 17' of stool 13 is identical to the hub sleeve 17 of stool 15, the arm 19' is identical to' the arm 19, and soon. The hub sleeve 17 is rotatably mounted on a swivel retaining plate or post plate 37 identical to the swivel retaining plate'or post plate 37; In

ent invention is directed to a more flexible mounting arrangement so that either one or two post plates 37"and 37 and either one or two dental stools may be mounted on the base plate 41, utilizing a minimum of standard parts and allowing the greatest convenience in assembling either one or two stools. It is further desirable to have the arrangement fit either of two standard sizes of dental chairs having pedestal bases which differ in diameter by about two inches. Thus, in FIGS. 3 and 4 the larger size base 59, for instance 24 inches in diameter, has its peripheral edge indicated by the full line 65, whereas the smaller size base, for instance 22 inches in diameter, has its edge indicated by the dotted line 67. The reason why the smaller size chair base projects farther toward the outer edge of the plate 41 than the larger size base, is that the circumferential edge of the chair base, regardless of its diameter, is always placed against the above-mentioned lugs which underlie the clamps 61 and 63. Hence a base of smaller diameter will project farther through the space between these lugs (or between the two clamps 61 and 63) than a base of larger diameter will.

To provide the base plate 41 with holes 45 spaced so as to accept either a single swivel mounting plate 37 or else two swivel retaining plates 37 and 37', the base plate 41 has six parallel pairs of hoies 45, which will hereafter be referred to as the first pair, the second pair, and so on, reading from left to right in F165. 3 and 4. It is' to be understood that the two holes of each pair of holes are arranged on a-line approximately perpendicular to the front edge of the plate 41 and that the imaginary lines joining the two holes of each pair of holes are parallel to one another. The spacing of the pairs of holes 45 in a direction approximately parallel to the front edge of the base plate 41 is such that the first and the third set are used for a plate 37 and the fourth and the sixth set are used for the plate 37 when it is desired to mount two stools, and the second and fifth sets are used when it is desired to mount a single swivel retaining plate 37. These mountings are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

As has been mentioned, the swivel retaining plate 37 has four screw threaded apertures 47 for receiving the upper ends of the screw fasteners 43. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the holes 45 and apertures 47 are in alinement, and the base plate holes 45 are indicated by the larger dotted circle representing the countersunk portion of the hole, whereas the apertures 47 are indicated by the smaller full line representation. It should be clear, however, that the holes 45 have the shape shown in FIG. 2 including an upper nominal hole diameter portion and a lower diametrically larger countersunk portion. In accordance with the invention, the apertures 47'are asymmetrical with respect to the central aperture 35 for receiving the end of the center post 33 as well as with the end edges of the swivel retaining plate. One pair of apertures 47 are located approximately in the corners at one end of the plate 37, whereas the other pair of apertures 47 are spaced inwardly from the other end of the plate 37. This other pair of apertures 47 is spaced inwardly by an amount dependent on the d fferent extent to which the two chair bases of difierent diameters will project through the space between the cating clamps 61 and 63. This difference for the 22 inch and 24 inch bases previously referred to is approximately three-quarters of an inch. As will be clarified later, the plate 37 is mounted in one direction or position of orienta tion when being used with the smaller sized chair base, and is turned end for end to be mounted in a position of orientation turned 180 degrees from the first mentioned position when the larger sized base is being used.

Each swivel retaining plate 37 also has four apertures or holes 55 for receiving the screw fasteners 53 which extend through theclamp plate 49. The clamp plate 49 has two such screwfasteners 53 associated with it. Thus, two holes 55 are provided on one end of the plate 37, each hole being spaced inwardly from the side edges thereof, and the other set of holes 55 is located at the other end of the plate 37 likewise spaced inwardly from the side edges.

The swivel retaining plate 37 is identical to the plate 37 and has identically located holes or apertures. Thus, the plate 37 has a large central aperture 35 for receiving ti e end of the center post, and has four asymmetrically located apertures 47 for receiving the screw fasteners 43, and also has four small apertures 55 for receiving the clamp plate screw fasteners 53.

The various possible arrangements for using either one or two dental stools with either the large size or the small size chair bases will be apparent from the discussion to follow. In FIG. 3, the mounting arrangement is illustratcd in full lines for mounting two dental stools on the base plate 41 in connection with a pedestal base of the larger size. The swivel retaining plate 37 is oriented so that the inwardly spaced pair 'of apertures 47' are located nearest the pedestal base 65, and is in a side to side location such that the apertures 47 are alined with the first and the third set of holes 45 in the base plate 41. The swivelretaining plate 37 has its one side edge in contact with a side edge of the plate 37, and is similarly oriented and placed in a side to side location such that the apertures 47 are alined with the fourth and sixth set of holes 45 in the base plate 41. The screw fasteners 43 may now be inserted upwardly through the base plate holes 45 into the screw threaded swivel retaining plate apertures 47 and 47', thus removably securing the swivel retaining plates to the base plate. The clamp plate 49 may thereafter be assembled in place straddling the inner ends of the plates 37 and 37 with the two screw fasteners 53 extending through the adjacent apertures 55 at the inner end of the pl tes 37 and 37'. It is to be noted that only one clamp 49 is required for the two swivel retaining plates. This full line arrangement in FIG. 3, it will be recalled, is for two dental stools in connection with the larger sized pedestal base 65.

If it is desired to use two dental stools with the smaller sized-pedestal base 67, the swivel retaining plates 37 and 37 are turned end for end or degrees, while having the same side to side location. Thus, the pair of apertures 47 adjacent the edge of the plate 37 now are located nearest the chair base 67, whereas the inwardly spaced pair of apertures 47 are outwardly away from the dental chair, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.. The swivel retaining plate 37' is similarly turned end for end. In this position, the inner ends of the plates 37 and 37 are at the same distance from the chair base 67 as the other ends were from the base 65 in the previous arrangement.

Thus,.the same clamp 49 may be used. The clamp plate 49 for this arrangement has its screw fasteners 53 extending through the other adjacent set of holes 55 so as to be located radially outwardly of its full line position as used for the larger sized base, although in the same position relative to the chair base edge and swivel retaining plate ends as before.

For mounting a single dental stool in connection with the larger sized pedestal base 65, the swivel retaining plate 37, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is located in a position of orientation with the inwardly spaced pair of apertures 47 nearest the chair base 65. The side to side location of the plate 37 is such that the apertures 47 are alined with the second and fifth sets of base plate holes 45. The clamp plate 49 has its two screw fasteners 53 extending into the two holes 55 at the inner end of the plate 37.

For an arrangement of one dental stool in connection with the smaller sized pedestal base 67, the plate 37 as shown in FIG. 4 is turned 180 degrees while keeping its same side to side location. Thus, as shown in dotted lines, the inwardly spaced pair of apertures 47 i now located at the edge of the plate 37 which is away from the pedestal base 67, and the clamp plate 49 is moved outwardly from its full line positionso that its screw fasteners 53 are inserted into the holes 55. at the other edge of the plate 37. It is again possible reuse the same clamp plate 49, as the end of the plate37 nearest the chair base 67 is the same distance away from theedge of base as was the opposite end from the base 65 in the prior arrangement. This mounting should be clear without further description from what has been said previously.

With the four possible combinations, a minimum of standard par-ts are required while yet preserving great to in which combination it is to be used. The swivel retaining plate 37, of course, is identical with the plate 37, so that we are really discussing only one standard form of swivel retaining plate. The apertures 35, 47, and 55 have the same arrangement in the plate 37 for utilizing it in any one of the four combinations. The clamp plate 49 is likewise a standard part, since in the FIG. 3 arrangement for twin dental stools the clamp plate merely straddles the two swivel retaining plates 37 and 37', whereas in the FIG. 4 arrangement for one dental stool it is supported at both edges in the one swivel retaining plate 37. The same clamp 49. is used for both sizes of chair bases, also.

The mounting arrangement as described also has advantages when converting from one set-up or combination to another after the original installation For instance, if the purchaser originally orders one dental stool, it is a relatively simple matter to install another dental stool at a subsequent date if it is desired. Also, if the dentist changes from one size dental chair to another size dental chair, it is possible to rearrange the mounting for the other size chair without ordering additional parts and being subject to additional expense. Thus, there are savings when reconverting as well as during the original manufacturing.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentioned objects of the invention are Well fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure-i given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the inven tion, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Mounting means for mounting at least one dental stool with relation to a dental chair base of at least one of two radial sizes, said mounting mean including a base plate adapted at least partially to underliea dental chair base and having a plurality of pairs of fastenerreceiving holes, stationary means for aligning both said chair bases, a swivel retaining plate adapted to be se-- cured to a vertical swivel post of a dental stool and having two positions of orientation relative to said base. plate, means defining a plurality of fastener-receiving apertures in said swivel retaining platearranged in asymmetrical relation to the ends of said swivel retaining plate so that in each of said positions the end of said swivel retaining plate nearest the chair base is at substantially the same distance from the edge of the chair base for each of the two radial sizes, selected ones of said base plate holes being alined with said swivel retaining plate apertures in each of said two positions, and fasteners extending through alined ones of said holes and apertures for removably securing said swivel retaining plate to said base plate.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, including a receiving aperture at one end of said swivel retaining plate for one size of chair base and extending into the other clamp fastener receiving aperture at the other end of'said swivel retaining plate for the-other size chair base.

3. Mounting means for mounting two dental stools with relation to a dental chair base of at least one of two radial sizes, said mounting means including a base plate adapted at least partially to underlie a dental chair base and having a plurality of pairs of fastener-receiving holes, stationary alignment means for aligning both said chair bases, a pair of identical swivel retaining plates each adapted to be secured to a vertical swivel post of one of said dental stools and each having two pairs of fastenerreceiving apertures, one of said pairs of apertures being adjacent one end of each of said swivel retaining plates and the other pair of apertures being spaced inwardly from the other end of each of said swivel retaining plates by a distance approximately equal to the difference in chair base radii, said swivel retaining plates being adjacent one another and having two positions of orientation relative to said base plate with said fastener receiving apertures alined with said fastener receiving holes, said swivel retaining plates being reversed end-for-end in said two positions such that in each of said positions the ends of said swivel retaining plates nearest the chair base are at substantially the same distance from the edge of the chair base for each of the two radial sizes, and fasteners received in alined ones of said holes and apertures.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, including means defining two additional pairs of holes in said base plate other than said plurality of fastener-receiving holes and interspersed in alignment thereamong, said additional pairs of holes being adapted to receive fasteners for securing a single swivel retaining plate and dental stool to the base plate.

5. Mounting means for mounting a dental stool in predetermined relation to the circumferential edge of a dental chair base of either one of two different diameters, said mounting means comprising a substantially fiat base plate for underlying a portion of said chair base, two spaced clamp members secured to said base plate for engaging the circumferential edge of said chair base at two points materially'spaced from each other in a circumferential direction, so that a chair base of smaller diameter will project through the space between said clamp members to a greater extent than a chair base of larger diame ter, a post plate having an upstanding stool-mounting post fixed thereto, a plurality of holes in said base plate, a plu-- rality of holes in said post plate, and'a plurality of screwthreaded fastening members each extending into one hole of said base plate and one hole of said post plate to fasten said post plate firmly to said base plate, the holes in said post plate being symmetrical with respect to said post in a direction approximately tangential with respect to said chair base and being asymmetrical with respect to said post in a direction approximately radial with respect to said chair base, and being so arranged that by turning said post plate through half a revolution in a horizontal direction, the holes of said post plate may still be alined ,with the holes of said base plate so as to receive said screwthreaded fastening members but with said post in a dif-' ferent location on said base plate, the difference in location of said post achieved by turning said post plate through half a revolution being approximately equal to the diiferencein extent to which chair bases of said larger and smaller diameters will project through the space between said clamp members.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,266,852 Cunningham Dec. 23, 1941 2,620,863 Cooper Dec. 9, 1952 2,694,439 7 Murray Nov. 16, 1954 2,848,037 MacKnight Aug. 19, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 25 2,ss2

Great'Britain June 10, 1926 

